Scotland respect · Courtesy in Scotland
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Courtesy in Scotland
Courtesy in Scotland
The issue of nationalism and independence is certainly much debated, and whilst it is nowhere near as sensitive or divisive as in other parts of the world where such movements exist, such as Northern Ireland, expect to be seen as an idiot if you argue an extreme position on either side. Scotland has been a part of the United Kingdom for just over 300 years, although in recent times it has had some autonomy. Being a proud Scot does not always equate to wanting the UK to break up, nor does it equate to hating England, such an assumption may offend those who have family links south of the border
It is important not to confuse or assume that Scotland is a part of England as this could cause anger to some. Although a Scottish person is likely to understand what is a simple mistake by a tourist, it could certainly cause annoyance to some Scots. Again, it is always good to remember that the above and that Scottish people are not all anti-English, however there are a small minority who may be. If you sense this vibe and you are English, it is best to walk away and avoid an argument or trouble. Although the vast majority of Scottish people respect and have strong ties with England, Scotland is a very proud nation and still feel it important to differentiate themselves as having a separate sense of nationality, especially in areas with strong voting towards the SNP.
Rivalry between various football clubs is a rather more sensitive issue. It's a bad idea to wear the colours and shirts of football clubs on match days as this may cause offence or lead to violence if worn in the wrong place. This is a problem mainly confined to Glasgow's 'Old Firm' derby where underlying sectarian politics still form an undercurrent to these infamous derbies (Celtic wear green and white, Glasgow Rangers wear blue and white however, orange is also often associated with them).
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Scotland
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Scotland Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.